Deutschland 83: case study blog tasks

Work through the following tasks to build a detailed case study for Deutschland 83. This will give you plenty of background information to use in an exam question. Remember, for this CSP the question could be on any of the key concepts: language, industries, audiences or representations.


Introduction: Reviews and features

Read the following reviews and features on Deutschland 83:

The Guardian - Your next box set: Deutschland 83
The Guardian - Deutschland 83 Pity the Germans don't like it

1) Find one positive aspect and one criticism of Deutschland 83 in reviews.

"an irresistible export: a funky exercise in pop nostalgia underpinned by actual events "

"Yet as if to make up for such a radical premise, it then backtracks into stereotype. Stasi officers are cruel ideologues who blackmail family members and fake reports for political ends."

2) Why does the second Guardian article suggest the Germans didn't like the show?

It falls into stereotypes over the East and West.

3) Find three 'below the line' comments from either of the Guardian articles. What did the audience think of Deutschland 83? Do you agree with the comments?

"Saw the title on Netflix recently but didn't bother. To me German series often suffer from poor production value and screenplays are either obsessed with complexity or dull and boring. The latter dominates. I blame the culture of ARD and ZDF which basically stifles all experiments in television and for some strange reason is more obsessed with viewer numbers than the privately owned channels.

Nevertheless, I'll give Tatortreiniger a try. Thanks for the tip." 

They're hesitant to watch the show because it's German, bit dodgy.

"Great serie, Greater country" 

Agreed.

"Loved this series. I was in West Germany in the summer of 1983 and I thought the programme makers captured the mood of the time perfectly. East Germany was much less well done (and more cartoonish) but it didn't really matter. You have to read Uwe Tellkamp's The Tower to get an idea of East Germany at that time. Unbelievable somehow that this was all happening only 6 years before the fall of the wall." 

She enjoys the series despite the representation of the Eastern guards being "cartoonish" I'd agree with this sentiment.

Interviews and behind-the-scenes video features

Channel 4 News: Matt Frei interviews Jonas Nay


1) What does Jonas Nay say about growing up in a united Germany? 

As far as he's concerned, there is no East and West Germany anymore.

2) The Channel 4 News interview is conducted in German with English subtitles. How does this reflect Channel 4's remit as a public service broadcaster and their target audience? (Clue: revise your work on Channel 4 and Public Service Broadcasting here!)

Channel 4 are meant to show programmes and viewing that go against the grain as well as broadcast foreign language cinema
3) Interviewer Matt Frei asks about the current political situation in Germany. Why might this interest the Channel 4 News audience?

They would be more inclined to learning about history to do with another country and deepen their knowledge of society as that is what Channel 4 offers.
Behind the scenes clips

The All4 website has a range of clips from behind the scenes of Deutschland 83. Watch the following:

Making Of: Why Should You Watch Deutschland 83
Watch this short promotional clip for Deutschland 83.

1) According to the clip, why should audiences watch Deutschland 83?

It makes history accessible to young people through something they enjoy. (Watch Horrible Histories)

2) Why is history an important aspect of the appeal of the show?

Because it offers a modern rendition of past events, giving real history to viewers.

3) What technical aspects are highlighted in the video?

The production, costumes and props


Making Of: Set Design
Watch this interview with Production designer Lars Lange.

1) Why were the set design, costume and props so important for Deutschland 83?

They set the mood and tone of the series
2) How historically accurate was the setting, costume and props?

They researched as far as they could into making it accurate to the time, with some sets designed completely from scratch as they had no reference.
3) Why were the props, costumes and music such a key audience pleasure for Deutschland 83?

They provided a very key nostalgia to everyone living through the 80s as well as those who just know the culture.

Textual analysis: Audience pleasures and representations

We need to consider the audience pleasures of Deutschland 83 alongside various representations created in the first episode.

Type up your analysis from the lesson using the headings below. You may want to watch the key scenes again and develop your notes in further detail - the more specific and memorable your analysis, the better it will serve you when writing an essay on TV drama. Remember, you can watch the episode for free on the All 4 website or on Amazon Prime.

Scene 1: Garden/BBQ scenes (East & West Germany)

4.58 – 8.20 and 34.00 – 37.20

The first BBQ:
-The colours are dulled and soviet
-Over the camera shots help establish the character as sympathetic, we see the world through his eyes.
-The youth are far more open minded to ending the war than the older characters introduced are.
-They were a very stereotypical representation of East German people at the time, in contrast to the more interesting opinions and personalities created for the West Germans.

The second:

-The colour scheme for the West is brighter and warmer
-The music is also Diagetic in the party scene, however, it is a traditional song, suggesting the West's youth can afford to look back at the past as opposed to hoping for a better future.
-There was more of a gender imbalance too, seeing as the women in the East were very much fending for themselves
-It can be interpreted that the West can afford to have gender roles in place as their economy does not need the workers.

Scene 2: Martin/Moritz first sees the West German supermarket 

14.30 – 20.25

-highkey lighting
-fast pace camera work and editing 
-there is diagetic music playing over the tannoy, grounding the story in the time it's set it.
-There is a very strong pop art aesthetic, showing how much deeper the abundance of culture capital runs in Western society.
-The lyrics match up with what the character is feeling, "some of them want to use you" ect..

Scene 3: Training montage scene when Martin/Moritz learns how to be a spy

20.40 – 22.40

-There are many genre conventions relating to the spy genre such as the typewriter text on screen  

during the spy training scene there is fast pace editing but its reduced to the narrative at the intense stage. there is also a use of a montage and jump cut transitions. there is also an iconography is the spy genre with gadgets bring presented and the intertextuality of James bond. there is also a use of non-dietetic sounds in the voice-over which suggests seriousness and determination.

 there is also a division presented in the representation of the two sides in their language and beliefs as well as food this division allows the audiences to make a sense of the mortifying separate lives families had to live and evokes a sense of compassion fatigue.  also, there is a representation of a corrupt society that is not accurate but is plausible. there is also use of diversion with recognising iconography and surveillance.

Scene 4: Briefcase scene when Martin/Moritz is stealing the NATO nuclear plans

31.13 – 33.30

Make notes under the following headings:

• Technical codes – particularly camerawork and editing
• Audio codes – diegetic and non-diegetic sound
• Audience pleasures

You will do the majority of this textual analysis work in class - this section of your case study simply requires typing up your notes in an easy and memorable way (bullet points are fine).

Production and industry contexts

Deutschland 83 was produced by German production company UFA Fiction and distributed internationally by FremantleMedia International. It was broadcast on RTL (Germany), SundanceTV (US) and Channel 4 (UK) as well as many other broadcasters around teh world.

1) What kind of company is UFA Fiction and what shows have they produced? 

They are a production company who have made such great hits as Wer weiß denn sowas?, Alles was zählt and the lesser known Deutschland 83.

2) What kind of company is Freemantle Media International and what do they produce?

A British international television content distributor. 

3) How does Deutschland 83 reflect the international nature of television production?

The subject matter involves many different countries, making it a dramatization of a lot of people's history.


Walter Presents

Watch this Channel 4 trailer for their Walter Presents international drama.

1) How does Channel 4 introduce 'Walter'?

They introduce him as human, with an identity, to garner trust and a relationship with him. 

2) What audience are Channel 4 trying to appeal to with the 'Walter Presents' series?

People who wouldn't normally watch foreign dramas.

3) How does the 'Walter Presents' series reflect the changing nature of television in the digital age?

We are increasingly becoming globalized.


Marketing and promotion

Trailer




1) What audience pleasures are suggested by the trailer? Think about Uses & Gratifications theory (Blumler and Katz).

-diversion
-personal identity 
-surveillance

2) How does the trailer use action and enigma codes (Barthes) to encourage the audience to watch the show?

-the enigma codes ask why the character is running, why is he fighting, what do the other shots mean.
-guns and explosions suggest action codes as well as enigma codes for why they're being used

3) The only words heard in the trailer are in English. Why do you think the UK trailer avoided subtitles or German dialogue?

To not ostracize people who would turn off immediately at the words foreign language.  


Press pack

Read the Channel 4 press pack interview with writer Anna Winger. (If the link doesn't work, you can find the text from the interview here). 

1) How did she use the historical context and real-life events to create a successful drama?

She researched heavily into the time and events to ground her show in reality, and then included archive footage and media of the time to build a believable world.

2) Anna Winger discusses the use of music. Why might the soundtrack attract an audience?

The nostalgia and throwback aspect many people find attractive.



Press release

Read this Channel 4 press release on the success of Deutschland 83. (If the link doesn't work you can find find the text from the article here).

1) List the key statistics concerning audience figures. Why is considered the most successful foreign language drama?

-It launched with 1.49 million viewers
-as of the article had 2.5 million viewers 

2) How does the news release describe the drama?

The Daily Mail describes it as “Evocative and gripping."

International marketing

Look at these two different marketing campaigns - the UK DVD release (left) and the American Sundance TV advert (right).




1) How does the UK DVD cover communicate the sub-genre of the drama?

The sub-genre is hinted at through the kissing couple graffiti (romance) and the beardy men looking left graffiti (communism).

2) How do these use font, colour and graphics to appeal to an audience?

they use bright, eye catching colours to suggest a modern, artsy vibe for the show.

3) Why might the distributors Freemantle Media International have used different marketing campaigns in different countries? 

Because different countries have different customs and iconographies, maning certain things wouldn't translate over to other countries.

TV Capital: Marxism and Hegemony

Marxism & hegemony: blog tasks

Task 1: Mail Online review of Capital

1) Re-read the Mail Online review of Capital. Why does it suggest that Capital features a left-wing ideology?

The white British characters/ government and authority are presented as bad and the minority characters are presented as victims or survivors of it.

2) Choose three quotes from the review that are particularly critical of Capital and paste them into your blogpost. Do you agree with the criticisms? Why?

"the crime was handed from one cardboard character to the next."

"A Muslim man whose only crime was to burn the odd Union Jack (he fell in with the wrong crowd, m’lud) was dragged off to the cells by anti-terror police who were, naturally, bigoted and faceless."

"Everything British came in for a dose of loathing."

3) What scenes or characters from Capital could be read as promoting left-wing ideology?

The hard working representation of the asylum seekers and Muslims and Immigrants could be considered as subversive of their right-wing counterparts and therefore more left-wing. However the fact that the representation of the minorities is good wouldn't be enough to upset people. It's because in contrast Capital tried demonizing the traditional white British values, clearly showing a political bias.

4) What about the other side of the argument - are there any aspects of Capital that reinforce the status quo in capitalist London?


The bankers are presented as powerful and have a lot of reward for their jobs.

Task 2: Media Factsheet - Applying Marxism 

Go to our Media Factsheet archive on the Media Shared drive and open Factsheet #66: Applying Marxism. Our Media Factsheet archive is on the Media Shared drive: M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets - you'll need to save the factsheet to USB or email it to yourself in order to complete this at home. Read the factsheet and answer the following questions:

1) What does Marxism suggest regarding power in society?

Power belongs to a wealthy minority, who can then create hegemonic narratives for ordinary people to follow and abide by.

2) Why is The Apprentice a good example of the media reinforcing capitalist values and ideologies?

Because it's about people trying to thrive in a capitalist society, making viewers at home respect the hustle more.

3) Come up with three examples of media texts (e.g. TV programmes, newspapers etc.) that either fetishise working class life (e.g. EastEnders presents quite a harmonious East End community which probably doesn't accurately reflect East London life) or demonise working class life or poor people (e.g. The Daily Mail and The Sun newspapers regularly demonise people living on benefits with headlines referring to 'scroungers'.)

-Yorkie bars make working class man super masculine
-Coronation street
-Polish people eating swans in the daily mail


4) Look at the bullet points on page 4 of the factsheet:

When making a Marxist reading of a text, look out for representations that:

• show the values of the power elite as beneficial to the mass
• show queries or challenges to the base as meaningless, foolish or anti-social via ‘failed revolt’
• show the subdominant position of the masses as a naturalised idea
• show the values of the power elite as ‘natural’ or ‘right’
• show that being a member of the mass is a good thing
• show the masses accepting the values of the power elite
• show the values of the power elite as being ‘for the good of the masses’ (even when unpleasant)

Now try applying those bullet points to Capital. Think about the setting, characters and narrative strands - how many of the bullet points apply to Capital? Does Capital reinforce or challenge the values of capitalism? Give examples from episode 1 to support your points.

-Capital shows the rich to be spoiled, with very little moral code. Therefore they subvert this.

-The minority characters do get hurt by the system and not much is done to change it.

-The poor people actively work to better their position

-Shows Roger's values to be superficial and wrong

-Shows that being a member of the mass isn't always easy if you're a minority

-Shows an asylum seeker gracefully working as hard as she can until Britain pulls one on her

-does not show the elite's issues as important 

Task 3: Media Magazine feature on BBC drama The Casual Vacancy and ideology

Finally, go to our Media Magazine archive and read the feature 'The Beeb, The Mail and JKR' in MM53 (page 20). This focuses on the politics of The Casual Vacancy, another BBC three-part drama based on a book by JK Rowling.




Answer the questions below:

1) Why did the Daily Mail suggest The Casual Vacancy promoted a left-wing ideology?

The country people are viewed as bigoted and closed minded.

2) How does the article suggest characters, narrative and setting are used to promote a left-wing ideology?

"ridiculing the wealthier
residents"

She has stereotyped her racist characters very well.

3) What research is quoted regarding BBC bias and what did it find? Do you think the BBC is biased?

Dr Mike Berry of Cardiff university found the BBC, if anything, had more of a right-wing bias.

4) Gramsci's theory of hegemony suggests people are kept under control through active consent - the control of 'common sense'. How could you apply the Daily Mail or the BBC to the idea of hegemony and dominant ideologies in the UK media?

The daily mail presents a dominant fear-mongering view that keeps the lower classes from questioning certain ideals they actively read.

CHICKEN LR

1) Type up your feedback in full (you don't need to write the mark and grade if you want to keep this confidential).

www: very well argued and expressed answer in Q3
ebi: make sure you don't throw away marks in the short questions

2) Read the mark scheme for this assessment carefully. Write down the number of marks you achieved for the three questions: _/3; _/6; _/9. If you didn't achieve full marks in a question, write a bullet point on what you may have missed.

2/3
-protects young children from violence, bad language, sex and taste/decency 

6/6

7/9
-I needed to provide a more balanced argument.


3) For Question 2 on the promotion of Chicken, use the mark scheme to identify at least one strategy used to promote Chicken to an audience that you didn't mention in your answer and why it was used. The key lesson from this question was to make specific reference to the CSP in your answer.

Quotes/recommendations from industry figures/celebrities (e.g. Sir Ian McKellen) because they would be considered as opinion leaders for the people.

4) Now look at Question 3. Using the mark scheme as a guide, write a paragraph arguing that it is NOT important for the British film industry to make social-realist films like Chicken and that it should concentrate on making bigger-budget movies funded by Hollywood studios. If your mark for this question was already top-level, revise David Hesmondhalgh's work on the cultural industries and try to build an aspect of his theory into your paragraph.

One one hand, the profits made by chicken are nowhere near those a conventional blockbuster would pull in. This would mean if all films were such then the British film industry could not thrive economically, with Hollywood as competition, as not many people enjoy social-realism. In order to preserve the industry and have a form of media that targets a wide range of audiences, British film should turn to higher budget Hollywood studios to adapt to the current climate. 

5) Finally, cover the other side of the debate. Write a paragraph arguing that it IS important for the British film industry to make social-realist films like Chicken and that such films contribute strongly to the social and cultural influence of the industry. You may also consider how they should be funded here. Use the mark scheme to help you with this. Again, if your mark for question 3 was already top-level, use Hesmondhalgh's theory in your paragraph.

On the other hand, the commerce benefits might not outweigh the artistic. Chicken's intent was not to make money but to make a statement against the status quo, making the pool of opinions and ideas people are exposed to in the media wider and giving more school of thought. Perhaps, if Hollywood were to fund all British film, they would shy away from tackling bigger subjects such as incest and disability in fear of alienating audiences and losing money. However, it is the opinion of some that these issues should be discussed and brought to light, meaning it is the duty of British film to make us question society.

CAPITAL

Trailer analysis

Watch the trailer for Capital:




1) How does the drama use camerawork to capture London life?

There are a lot of medium close-ups and the camera moves more when outside. 

2) How does the trailer use mise-en-scene to capture the family element of the drama?

The shots of the family at dinner are relatable and warm-coloured shots to illustrate family life and what could be under threat.

3) How does the trailer introduce narrative strands suggesting tension or enigma in the 40-second running time?

There are a lot of shots with postage, connoting secrecy, causing tension. There is also an intense close up on the old lady looking down from the window, perhaps seeing something sinister.
Watch the Episode 1 preview for Capital:



1) What does this preview clip suggest about the potential sub-genres for Capital? 

Mystery? 

2) What elements of the clip might suggest this is a 'state-of-the-nation' drama?

The references to Islamophobia and racism.

3) Analyse the mise-en-scene in this clip. How does this provide realism and familiarity for audiences?

It's set in a corner shop, something most of us will have around us.

4) What audience pleasures are provided by this scene?

Enigma codes 
personal identity 
personal relationships? if you really liked the family from the start

5) How is the audience positioned to respond to the different characters in this particular sequence?

The policeman is very professional and seems to want to help them, while the student's comments are understandable and the family's concern is sympathetic.


Watch the Episode 2 preview for Capital:



1) How does this clip represent upper-middle-class family life?

They're not happy, their kids are the last thing on their mind, ready to cheat on each other 

2) What narrative strands are suggested in this sequence?

the mother is angry so the man may have an affair with the nanny.

3) How is the audience positioned to respond to Roger Yount, the main character (banker and father to the two boys)?

Perhaps cringe at his attempt to flirt? before feeling sorry for his tense home life?


Representations: close-textual analysis

Capital offers a range of fascinating representations - from London and asylum seekers to capitalism and inequality. You need to be able to confidently discuss these issues in the context of 2015 London - with reference to key scenes from episode 1. Representations include: London, family, gender, ethnicity, religion, immigration, asylum, inequality, wealth, capitalism, aging and more.

1) Write an analysis of the representations in each of the key scenes from episode 1 we studied in class:

Scene 1: opening sequence 00:30 – 4.49
-The community used to be white, now ethnical
-sense of community
-Asian family own corner store

Scene 2: work in the City 6.28 – 8.10
-London is crowded, high profile
-enormous wealth/power
-Roger's wife doesn't ask permission to spend his money
 -high end work is dominated by white men
-German boss

Scene 3: “Which of those isn’t absolutely essential?” 14.00 – 15.35
-Expensive to live in London
-Spoiled trophy wife
-private school
-out of touch
-negative representation
-"I'm no feminist"
-clearly doesn't need empowerment because she has a comfy life stepping all over a man

Scene 4: asylum 18.03 – 19.42 AND 31.10 – 32.40
-London has a lot of government cut backs
-asylum seekers illegally providing for themselves
-'Black economy'
-London is diverse
-there's a gender imbalance 
-most deprived suffer the most 


You can choose which aspects to focus on for each scene: e.g. London, family, gender, ethnicity, religion, immigration, asylum, inequality, wealth, aging etc.

2) How does Capital use stereotypes? Do the characters and issues represented in Capital reinforce or subvert the stereotypes we typically see in the media?

It seems they tried harder not stereotyping with the Asian family than the middle class white family. Yet, the Asian family still run a corner store and there are recognisable aspects overall.

Industries and production context

Capital was produced by independent production company Kudos for the BBC. Look at the Kudos website and also read the Kudos Wikipedia page.

1) Who is the parent company for Kudos?

Endemol Shine UK

2) What was the breakthrough show for Kudos in 2002?

Confidence Lab: one series (2002) for BBC Two – total 6 episodes

3) Watch the showreel on the Kudos website. What other TV dramas have Kudos produced? What awards have they won?

They've produced a wide range of dramas: police, period, sci-fi

4) What audience pleasures does the showreel suggest Kudos productions offer? 

There's the pleasure of recognising shows you may have potentially seen



Marketing and promotion

Read the BBC Press Pack for Capital.

1) How does the programme information on page 3 make Capital sound interesting to audiences?

"As the mystery of the postcards deepens, we learn more about this vivid and unforgettable ensemble of characters. Interweaving stories reveal lives filled with love and loss, fear and greed, fortune and envy and most recognisable of all, family and home - stories bursting with piercing and funny observations on modern life and urban existence, of ordinary people who find themselves caught and changed by a city at a time of extraordinary flux"

They clearly want the audience to feel the mystery aspect of it as well as form personal relationships with the characters.


2) Why does the programme information mention the other shows that the director and producer have worked on?

1) Show that the director and producer are seasoned in the field
2) If someone was a fan of one of the other shows they would be informed it's by the same director/producer.

3) Who commissioned Capital for BBC?

Commissioned by Charlotte Moore

4) Read the interview with Toby Jones. What does he say about the character of Roger?

"Roger isn’t an evil banker, he’s a slightly complacent banker. He’s become used to a certain way of life and has a self-imposed pressure to live that way. He spends a lot of money on things that other people don’t spend money on – for example fixtures and fittings - but that is normal to him and his wife. He is not totally in charge of his life or his work."

5) Read the interview with Adeel Akhtar (page 10). What does he suggest Capital says about the fictional Pepys Road and the sense of community (or lack of it) in London?

"It looks at the idea of a community, and what it means to belong to the community from whatever background you’re from. One of the problems is that some people within a community, such as 11 Ahmed’s brother Usman, feel ostracized from it. They feel like they don’t belong and are on the outside looking in. Capital looks at that concept and also that they are all part of something bigger than themselves"

6) Read the interview with Shabana Azmi (page 12). What does she say about Asian representations in Britain? 

"I think so. If you look at the subject of Capital, and the number of communities that are being represented, there’s awareness that the world is shrinking, and becoming a global village. We are absorbing cultures, and understanding them, or at least trying to understand them within their own paradigms. "

7) Read the interview with Peter Bowker (who adapted Capital - page 14). What are his favourite scenes in the drama and why?

"I have a few favourite moments in the book which I wanted to make sure stayed as favourites in the adaptation. Christmas morning where Roger has been abandoned and left to look after his two 15 children is one that Euros (Director) has done brilliantly. Roger realises that his life is changing but it’s done with such comedy! It is one of those glorious Basil Fawlty moments where the farce is working at one level and the emotional farce is working at another. I also love the Kamals’ chaotic family meals. They are quintessentially archetypal family scenes that everybody lives through, but played with great comedic panache. And when Bogdan the Polish builder talks to Matya the Hungarian nanny about the affluent Londoners they are working for, it’s fascinating. Capital has a wonderful scale but is all about the minute observations of human nature. "

8) Read the interview with Derek Wax, the Executive Producer for Kudos (page 16). Why did he produce Capital and what does it say about the way we live now?

"The novel really spoke to me as it has a sweeping Dickensian ambition to it, all life in one street. I loved the sense of this big, expansive panorama of life as well as the small details of human behaviour. The whole of London seen through the microcosm of one street. And the characters are so complex, real and believable. Sometimes big ‘state of the nation’ novels use characters to illustrate political points, but Capital is far more subtle and nuanced. John gets inside their heads and allows us to engage with their thoughts and feelings, observes them with insight, humour and humanity, allows the story to breathe." 

TV Drama

1) What is serial television drama? Write your own definition.

Television dramas are serial based programmes, typically with relatable themes and situations and overarching narratives.

2) List five of the TV dramas discussed in the history of the genre on page 1 of the factsheet. How has the genre evolved over time?

Doctor Who
The Avengers
Danger Man
The Sweeney
Minder

3) List the sub-genres of TV drama featured in the factsheet. Come up with your own example of an existing TV dramas to fit each category.

Period (costume)
Science-fiction/fantasy
Family
Teen

4) Why is setting so important for TV drama?

It establishes what types of scenarios the characters may go through as well as what the show is about. 

5) How do TV dramas typically use character? What audience pleasures can be linked to character in TV drama? (Hint: Uses & Gratifications theory!)

TV Dramas typically use archetypal characters as the framework. Audiences recognise the characters and enjoy being able to relate to them or perhaps form a relationship with them.  

6) What is a multi-strand narrative? Give an example of a TV drama that features a multi-strand narrative.

Multi-strand narratives mean there are multiple narratives going on in a show at any one time, usually these plots follow two different groups of characters in an episode so each can break up the tension of the other. 

7) What is a cold opening?

Where the show plays for a minute before its title sequence.

8) How can Todorov's theory of equilibrium be applied to TV drama serials?

There will usually be a equilibrium in which life is normal for the characters, when a disequilibrium occurs and the characters need to solve it to reach a new equilibrium. 

9) What is the typical form for TV dramas and how are the programmes typically distributed to an audience?

Programmes usually fill about an hour (or 50 minutes).

10) How have subscription channels (such as HBO) and streaming services (such as Netflix and Amazon Prime) changed the form and content of TV dramas?

The series now are not meant for weekly viewing, more so for binging 

11) Choose a TV drama and do your own analysis of it using the SETTING / CHARACTERS / NARRATIVE / FORM headings as featured on page 3 of the factsheet.

Haunting of Hill house is set in America and the settings are different for each one of the characters. This is, in my opinion to match the emotional distance between them. This causes tension for the viewer for what will happen when they're all finally together.

There is an ensemble cast of a broken family with more focus put, originally, on the brother who everyone hates the most. This dysfunctional representation of a family is more realistic and identifiable for audiences.

The narrative has a very big focus on the overarching mystery of the house and what happened to their mother while providing ample time to get to know the characters with smaller plots that still hold relevance to the ending.

12) How might the TV drama genre evolve in future?

TV drama will definitely be all streamable so the usual hour long episodes may change to shorter ones to keep up with our attention span.

Film Industry: Chicken index

Your final Film Industry index should include the following:

1) British Film Industry factsheets #132 & #100
2) Chicken case study research 
3) Regulation - BBFC research and tasks

For your index, it needs to link to YOUR corresponding blogpost so you can access your work and revision notes quickly and easily. This also means you if you have missed anything you can now catch up with the work/notes and won't underperform in future assessments/exams due to gaps in your knowledge.